Full IS Panic
by panda-kun77
Summary: Sousuke has faced many bloody engagements in his life, yet he wasn't prepared for handling civilians. And so a humorous adventure unfolds as he tries to cope with his new life while going through dangerous missions. A Full Metal Panic x IS crossover.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Full Metal Panic or Infinite Stratos. They belong to their respective creators and publishers.

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><p><strong>Full I-S panic<strong>

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><p><em><strong>Prologue<strong>_

"_If __you cut off negotiations, it can only lead to war. Accept a truce, and I will listen to whatever you have to say. Let's work toward a compromise!__" _~ Sousuke Sagara

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><p><strong>July 14, 2010<br>****5:05 p.m.  
><strong>**Somewhere in Japan  
><strong>**Shinonono Residence**

Soft sniffles could be heard throughout the quite backyard. A small girl sat whimpering upon the stone steps leading to a small shrine. She was garbed in a white and black hakama and her black hair was tied into a ponytail by a large green ribbon.

She sniffed and continued to let out tears till someone approached her. It was a boy around her age with black hair and eyes. He was sweating underneath his clothes; Hakamas that were similar to her own. He appeared winded and it showed when he let out a relieving huff of breath.

"Houki… there you are."

The girl named Houki looked back for a quick second before viciously wiping her eyes with her sleeves. She didn't respond to the person who called her name and opted to face away.

"Whats wrong?" The boy asked while taking a seat beside her.

Houki turned her head in the opposite direction and muttered "Go away, Ichika…" warningly.

The newly named boy, Ichika, frowned and leaned in closer to her. He wasn't convinced or afraid of what she might do.

"I won't move until you tell me what made you cry." He said firmly.

"I-I wasn't crying! I-I just got something on my eye. Yea, that's right. Stupid wind got something in my eyes."

She rubbed the aforementioned subject with her sleeves once more.

Ichika folded his arms over his chest and raised a brow. "You're a bad liar, Houki…"

The girl stiffened, but did not respond. She kept her head down and hands clasped together on her lap.

"Fine, I'll start guessing then." The boy settled on a thinking posture and faced the setting sun before him. "Did Hiroshi bully you again?"

"…"

"Um, maybe it was Kai?"

"…No…"

"How about Takashi then?"

"No."

"Ren?" Ichika suggested.

"NO!" Houki spat out, angrily turning to face him. "I wasn't bullied by anyone at all! I was crying because…."

She stopped mid sentence and clamped up. She had nearly spilled her frustration. Her friend was staring at her concernedly and she felt slightly embarrassed from it for some reason.

"Because of what? What made you cry?"

When she didn't reply Ichika took another approach. Gently placing a hand over her shoulder, he turned her towards him. Houki's hair covered part of her face, shadowing her eyes. The only thing left visible was her cute button nose and her small trembling lips.

"I'm your friend, right Houki?" Ichika asked.

She nodded slowly but didn't say anything.

"Then tell me what's wrong… please?"

That was enough to draw her attention and she raised her head towards him. Fresh tears fell from the corner of eyes, startling the boy almost immediately. Distressed or worried couldn't be better words to describe his feelings. He was downright panicking like there was something far worse than he expected.

And that might just be so.

"W-whoa, Houki! W-why are you crying?" He asked while helping in drying her tears. "What's the re—"

"I'm moving…" His friend murmured in between sniffles.

It came out barely audible that Ichika wasn't able get the last part.

"Say that again?"

"I'm moving away."

Ichika sighed. "Speak up, Houki. I can't hear you."

"I SAID I WAS _MOVING _YOU IDIOT!"

The poor boy instantly shrank and held up his hands in a placating matter as Houki glared murderously at him. When a female was angry you do not want to get her angrier. Especially when you're sitting on the steps of a very steep hill. You never know what accidents might occur without you noticing.

"R-right, you're m-moving. Sorry, Houki-san." He apologized as sweat drifted down his face and neck. "Okay Houki-san? I'm sorry s-so calm down. Please?"

Houki did what she was told and took calming breaths. It took a minute or two before she finally reigned in her anger. Ichika was relieved that small danger has passed and turned to address the source of the problem.

It was something he needed time to think.

After a few minutes of silence he glanced at his friend who looked to be subdued and even more depressed.

"S-so when are you moving…?" He finally asked.

That was a terrible question to ask though. The cloud of depression hovering over his fellow kendo practitioner grew even darker. It would seem that that was not the best of subject to thread.

Stupid him.

Ichika mentally scolded himself after realizing this.

"I don't know…" Houki began a few minutes later. "I don't know when I'm supposed to move. My parents didn't tell me anything. I just found out about it this morning during my free time."

The boy quietly listened to her. By now the sun had set over the horizon, painting the sky with a hue of orange and yellow mixed with the coming evening. It was getting colder too, but the two kids did not move to show it as Houki continued to talk.

"I… I like it here. I don't want to move anywhere else." She said. "You don't want me to move away, right Ichika?"

The boy nodded in agreement and placed a hand over her head.

"Of course I don't want you to. We're friends so we have to stick together."

A small smile graced Houki's lips at his words. Feelings of comfort radiated from her friend in a way that gave her security and reassurance.

"Yea." She said more to herself. "I don't want to be away from my friend too."

They sat in silence once more, each pondering on what to say next.

"How about we talk to uncle and auntie?" Ichika suddenly proposed.

"What?"

"I'm sure they will listen to us if we tell them what we said." Ichika stood up and held up a hand. "Come on, Houki. Let's go try it!"

"Are you sure they'll listen?" She asked hesitantly.

"Of course! They're your parents. They'll listen." He said resolutely.

Despite his assuring words, the two friends felt that deep down, things wouldn't turn out the way they hope it will. That nagging feeling in the pit of their stomach said as much.

Three weeks later, the moving vans arrived at Houki's door and the following morning that came after was a tearful one for both friends.

Ichika tried to see her off, but Houki refused to meet him.

And so the two friends went their separate ways without uttering a single word 'goodbye.'

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><p><strong>2017 Hours, August 12, 2013 (Lima Time Zone)<br>****Russky Island, Russia  
><strong>**Joint Mithril SRT and TF 141 Covert Operation  
><strong>**Sgt. Sousuke "Kashim" Sagara…**

"_Checkpoint reached. Thirty meters till Enemy AO."_

A pair of figures, one tall and one short, moved swiftly under the cover of darkness like wolves prowling the forest. They travelled with light steps towards their destination as they made their way through thick brushes and tall pines. One of them veered off from their path and disappeared. The other didn't break pace and continued onwards.

"_Two Tangos ahead. Take your pick."_

With his gloved finger hovering over the trigger Mithril's soldier, Sergeant Sousuke Sagara, made his slow approach. He carefully stepped over a fallen branch and settled behind a chunk of brush near a tree. A little further ahead a pair of soldiers garbed in standard navy-blue fatigues and body armor stood guarding a rusted gate with their back to him. He paused and filtered one of them into scope.

The distance was eighteen-yards with no one else in sight. Easy kills.

"I got left." Sousuke murmured over the comm.

"_Alright," _His partner confirmed, "_On 3."_

Taking a soft deep-breath the pre-teen settled into a crouch and listened to the countdown. His silenced UMP45 submachine gun remained steady as he waited.

"_1."_

His target lit a cigarette and offered one to his buddy, unaware of the small red dot marking the back of his head.

"_2."_

The one wearing a blue cap laughed and dug out a lighter from his pocket.

"_3."_

They dropped after 2 short bursts of fire.

_"All clear. Nice shot, kid."_

Out of the woodworks nearby a tall figure slowly crept out, his weapon raised and eyes scanning the area. He was garbed in black cargo pants and a dark-greyish sweater. And like the young sergeant he was well equipped with both military grade weapons and gear. Lastly, he wore a unique head mask covering the lower parts of his face, just below his shades—a grinning skull of a grim reaper.

Sousuke followed soon after and made his way to the fallen bodies.

He policed their weapons and searched for other supplies that they might have while his partner watched over the area. This was the standard procedure they've been following for the past 3 hours since their mission began. They had no luxury for care-packages being dropped—not when they were so deep behind enemy lines. So for this purpose they scavenged the dead.

What few munitions they had left were kept in reserve just in case they needed it later. The enemy, thus far, were using weapons unsuited for taking out armored infantry like them.

"MP5Ks', a dozen mags, combat knife and one medkit." The young boy whispered softly. "No further supplies. They're all empty."

His partner cursed under his breath and motioned to him.

"Let's keep moving then. Leave the kit behind with the bodies. There's no time to hide them."

"Roger."

Once the additional weapons were secured the duo made their way past the gate and into the abandoned factory.

Well, _previously_ abandoned factory…

There were still sources of light visible within the dead of night; some inside the factory while the rest were in the surrounding area. Buildings, flashlights, overhead lights, lamppost and the like.

Sousuke paused behind a chunk of scrapped car and activated his night vision goggles once more. The moon had skirted away from view and left a rather dark field for them to navigate. Their objective lay just 400 meters from their spot… amongst the area of buildings operated by the enemy.

And that's _after_ they got through this maze of junk cars.

He could make out the manned guardhouse in the distance, but it was heavily guarded. Patrols ran in random intervals that made it difficult to coordinate a proper pathway across. Even more so when they were in large numbers and accompanied by trained K-9s.

Sousuke couldn't count how many times he held his breath and rub dirt over his person just so he wouldn't break cover when they started through. Having close calls is really bad for the heart.

Fortunately, the two made it to the factory without much incident.

They slipped passed a couple more patrols and guards, crawled over a fence, made their way around a couple buildings serving as barracks and HQ for the enemy, before making the decision to plant bombs on the few vehicles they came across. A few more minutes of sneaking around lead them to an unguarded door of one of the tallest buildings in the compound where they eventually stopped. Sousuke assumed this was the target building he had seen from earlier Intel reports.

The young soldier settled into a crouch behind his partner while he kept a look out. The skull-masked operative was busy picking the padlock on the door.

"Uh, give me a minute here…. I haven't used this skill in awhile. Now a day's I expect electronic locks not these primitive things."

Sousuke waited patiently and then almost instantly patted his partner's back just as he got the lock open.

"Contact, on our 3!" He whispered urgently.

"Move!"

The two broke for cover. Sousuke hid behind a cluster of boxes nearby while his partner slid into one of the large cemented pipes at the side. It was enshrouded in complete shadows; a perfect place to hide.

As the patrol neared Sousuke tightened his grip on his weapon. There were four of them, armed with assault-rifles this time and some pretty thick body armor. Not exactly the newer models, but still providing more than adequate protection against their weapons. He had no doubt that it'll take more than a number of shots to down 2 of them at the very least. Not a good odd, especially when ammo is scarce. There were only 2 magazines left for his silenced sub-machinegun.

Just then his comm. crackled and Ghost, his partner, spoke through. _"Gonna have to take them out. CQC only—try not to miss, alright? I got the two in the back."_

Sousuke confirmed with a tap to his headset and silently withdrew his weapon. Pulling out a combat knife from his boots he melded into the shadows and waited.

The patrol was about four yards now with no signs of action from Ghost. The young operative felt slight anxiety build up briefly until movement from the side caught his eyes.

One of the soldiers suddenly fell forward with a knife to the back of his throat. He gurgled and went limp. At the same time another drop dead from a bullet wound to the side of his head. Sousuke reacted instantly and sprinted forward. The brief distraction by Ghost provided him enough time to sink his own knife at his target's neck all the while kicking the other enemy behind the knee as hard as he could.

The lone soldier let out a muffled cry from behind his mask and staggered to his knee. Ghost made a move to assist his much younger partner, but stopped abruptly as Sousuke delivered a vicious side-kick to the enemy's head. An audible snap rang out followed by the soldier dropping to the ground groaning. Sousuke then proceeded to mount him and delivered the killing blow.

"Hostiles neutralized." He announced in a haggard breath.

Ghost moved to his side to assess the kills. All four targets bled from the neck up.

"You got me worried for a second there, Kid." He said as he inspected the body. "Didn't think you'd be able to take those two on your own."

"It… It was a not a problem."

His senior regarded him silently. "Right… we should hurry. It's about time we end this mission and get ourselves some R&R."

Sousuke nodded and wiped the blade with his enemy's sleeves. He then followed procedures and grabbed the latest weapons and ammo. Off to the side he spotted Ghost securing the other bodies before dragging them into the pipe he hid in a minute ago. The young operative did the same.

Stacking up by the door they crouched down and made ready. Sousuke double checked his gear and fastened ammunition to the empty pouches of his vest. He then snapped a spare red-dot sight on his assault rifle, checked the aim, switched the safety off and smiled slightly. He was good to go.

Meanwhile, Ghost had just finished preparing and was in the process of searching for something from his pack. He pulled out a black hard-device from one of the pockets and began tapping in commands. Almost immediately a greenish screen popped into view. Sousuke scooted over for a closer look.

"Okay, satellite feed says we're just about 100 meters from our target. She's at the 2nd floor, last room to the right." The older operative said. "We still got 15 minutes left before our birds get here. Bravo Team and your colleagues, Urzu2 and 8, are in position so that just leaves us."

"What about Delta team? Don't they have the back door?"

"They'll be in position soon enough. It looked like they hit a small snag earlier—must be Roach's doing." Ghost chuckled lightly. "Trouble always seems to find him."

Although curious about his partner's teammate, the young operative didn't comment. They were still in a mission so absolute focus was necessary. There's always time for personal 'Q and A' later.

"Are there anymore Intel on enemy strength?" Sousuke questioned after a moment. "Last assessment was around 1700 hours. It's been awhile since then. There might be possible armor at this point."

"I got nothing on the radar… Let me check the other scanners."

There was some rapid typing as Ghost fiddled with his device. Sousuke took this time to glance around. No one was in sight so far. It'll probably be another couple minutes before the enemy sends another patrol to their position. He had expected the dead bodies from earlier to be discovered by now though. How very strange.

"Shite!" The accented curse by Ghost drew his attention. "You were right. I'm counting a massive amount of SAM turrets on the roofs and some modified Soviet BTRs all over the place. There's enough to keep Urzu2 and 8 dancing for quite a few. How did these bloody things escape our scans?"

"Hmm… it's possible they've obtained some of the older ECS devices." Sousuke murmured to himself. "That'll explain why Spy SATs couldn't track them at first."

"We gotta alert the others." Ghost announced before tapping his Comm. "Bravo Team this is Alpha One, we've got trouble. Multiple SAMs up top and enemy-armor spotted near your location. Be advised, they are a mixture of type-1 and type-3 BTRs. Warn the SRT immediately, over."

"_Copy that, Alpha One. We see them."_ A voice replied. _"We won't be able to contact Urzu team though… they've requested comm. silence a few minutes ago."_

Ghost turned to his much shorter companion. Sousuke could almost feel the look of exasperation directed at him.

"Seriously, kid. What is it with your team? Are they part of this unit or not?"

Sousuke remained impassive as he spoke. "I'm unsure. The higher-ups might have given them a secondary objective to accomplish. I wasn't given details during our mission briefing, sir."

Ghost resisted the urge to bang his head against the wall at this. Those bloody leaders and their god damn agendas. Couldn't they follow a mission through without adding further complications to it?

"Can't you contact them?"

Sousuke switched his communicator on and tried. "This is Urzu7 to Urzu2, do you copy?"

Silence.

"I repeat. Urzu7 to Urzu2, do you copy?"

Ghost shifted beside him. "Anything?"

The young operative shook his head with a frown. "Negative. There's nothing, but static."

"Bah! I guess we'll have to start the party a little early then." The older operative returned to his communicator once more. "Alright mates, plan A is already heading south from here so switch to plan B."

"_Roger that Alpha one, relocating to secondary breaching point. Out."_

Surprisingly, the other team reported in.

"_Delta Copies. Switching to new directive. We'll be ready in 5."_

"Double time it Delta, you guys are running late."

"_Not our fault that Intel was a little off. Trying for 3 minutes then, see you in a bit. Delta out."_

The skull-masked soldier shook his head before softly patting the door next to him.

"Let's head in." Ghost said, taking a step back.

Sousuke complied and slammed the door open with his shoulder. Not exactly the quietest way of entering a building, but thankfully it wasn't too noticeable.

"Good god… Can't you be more subtle?"

"My apologies, sir."

It was dark when Sousuke stepped in with no one around. Aside from the pipes lining the walls and some large hardware posted near the end of the hall, it looked like they were in some kind of supply room. Big boxes, square boxes, steel containers and bin, all of them littered the floor in stacks.

"All clear inside." Sousuke stated as he move further in with his assault-rifle sweeping from one side to the next.

Ghost nodded, but paused at the door. He held a hand to his ear as he listened closely to the sudden comm. chatter.

Something was happening with the other teams.

"…Change of plans, kid, I'm heading over to assist Delta team with those turrets." Ghost finally said as he checked the magazines of his stolen assault rifle. "Go on ahead as planned, you got 3 minutes till the fireworks starts."

"…Understood."

They quickly separated with Sousuke heading up the stairs and Ghost backtracking towards the other team.

The young sergeant wasn't at all fazed by the sudden shift in the mission. It was expected. Missions are commonly altered after all.

Unknown factors played dangerous games with soldiers very often in war. One may find them heading home from a successful mission at one instance and in the next they're suddenly pulled into a trap before they could put up a fight. That's why adapting to these unforeseen changes and continuing on accordingly was a requirement in his training as a soldier of Mithril.

He needed to be ready for anything.

Just as Sousuke neared the top of the stairs, his comm. blared out loudly causing him to stop in surprise. Although that was soon replaced by a pump of adrenaline as he bolted down the hall towards his objective. The message transmitted was something he had feared.

"_This is Ghost to all teams! Enemy I-S spotted—execute the plan, NOW!"_

The mission had just turned into a nightmare.

* * *

><p>8:43 p.m.<p>

That was what the old clock in the room read.

A young girl of 12 years sat huddled in a corner with a grey blanket wrapped around her. She was of Japanese heritage, black hair tide into a ponytail, soft cream colored skin and deep onyx eyes filled with weariness. The sleepless nights was taking its toll on her, slowly exhausting whatever energy she had left.

Around her, half a dozen masked-men armed with weapons of sorts crowded the room. They wore military outfits of a blue color and bore no insignias or signs that identified their group or affiliations. Most of them were occupied with activities; playing cards at a table, watching sports on a portable laptop or looking out the window and smoking. One of them made his way towards her with a tray of food on hand.

She couldn't tell at first, pressing herself against the corner as hard as she could, till the man was a few feet away. He was one she recognized, and unknowingly marked, as one of the friendlier and less intimidating soldier around. He went by the name of Nikolai and was by far the most kind to her. In fact, he was assigned as her caretaker days ago.

With her fear slightly beaten back, Shinonono Houki, silently watched him.

"Here, eat." He spoke in her native language albeit thick with Russian accent. "I brought you some tea."

The man offered the plate of food to her, but she made no move to take it. He sighed and placed the tray gently on the floor.

"You need your strength, Shinonono-san." He told her.

Houki looked at up him, hesitated then reached for the bread. She took a bite of it and realized how soft it was. The sweet taste accompanying the first bite restored some energy and she quickly took another chunk more hungrily. The man seemed to sigh in relief from behind his mask and she wondered why. She meant to ask, but decided against it.

"A-arigatou." She finally murmured out, partly frightened of what might happen if she raised her voice, but mostly due to her lack of courtesy.

She was always a serious and an unsocial girl after all. Even if her tough exterior have been withered away these past few days she remained defiant and spirited. It help that her caretaker seemed to support her for some reason.

Maybe to lower her guard down? Houki wasn't so sure yet.

"You're welcome. Get some rest when you're done."

The young girl was then left to her meal as the soldier was called over by one of his companions. Houki watched him walk away before focusing on her food. She ate quietly while questions roamed her mind.

Four days have passed since her abduction, perhaps more—she couldn't quite tell. The passing time had all been muddled since that day of their moving. It was one of many occasions that had happened since she left her hometown 3 years ago.

They were headed to their new house, her parents at her side, driving down the road after the rental truck that carried their furniture and belongings. A few cars followed closely behind them. An insurance of sorts her dad had once told her. Just another day of her life…

…Until they stopped by a grocery store for a quick break and right into a trap.

Houki could still remember the sound of shouting and gun fire as the store was turned into a battlefield. She, alongside a few other adults who accompanied them inside, was separated from her parents by an explosion. The man who had introduced himself as her distant uncle shouted orders to the others while he carried her away. One of the adults followed while the rest moved elsewhere.

The innocent bystanders were dragged in to this mess; torn to pieces by some unexplained force. Pretty soon only her and the adults she knew remained.

Houki wasn't sure where they were going. The next thing she knew the loud sounds of gunfire were suddenly joined by others, scattered sounding and far closer than the ones outside. Wrapped snacks and food of all sorts exploded in every direction as the ceiling above showered her and her uncle with debris. Hails of bullets sprayed the whole store, tearing through walls and just about anything that stood in their way.

Everything was in chaos.

Houki shivered at the memories she didn't want. Her food forgotten, she buried her head on her blanket and tried to block the nightmarish experience. No matter what though, they still kept coming, like a persistent fly that refused to leave her despite being swatted away.

It tormented her.

She recalled trembling uncontrollably by her uncle as he pulled out a handgun and began shooting away at the masked people approaching them. Her parents were gone from the store by then, ushered away by the people protecting them. The backdoor exit was blocked by debris and violent flames not soon after, leaving her, her uncle and what few adults remained, trapped and unable to escape.

"Keep your head down, Houki-chan!" Her uncle had told her.

He fired a few times and stumbled for an ammo clip from his belt.

"Sir, there's too many! We can't keep this up for long we gotta do something!"

Guns continued to blaze and the entire store was filled with the odor of gun powder and smoke. Houki remembered being driven back into the storage room after two more of her guardians fell, pools of blood becoming more apparent to her. As were the bodies scattered in the floor.

It was the first time she's seen the crimson liquid in such large amounts.

The fighting wore on for what seemed like an endless time. The only difference then was that no more shouting accompanied their deafening sound, only gun fire and the panting and cursing of her uncle. It made her feel lost and numb amongst the tragedy that occurred around her. Houki wasn't stupid, she knew what had happened at that time, the lives lost because of her and how shaken she had felt throughout the ordeal.

She didn't show it, but she had been afraid.

Eventually, everything stopped; the firefights had shimmered into nothing, movements ceased to exist, voices silenced and her uncle… was no longer among the living. She had taken a nearby mop and held it like one would wield a Bokken. A last source of defense in her mind, yet a futile attempt she knew. The room she was locked in with her uncle soon broke open and the demons she felt both fear and hatred for flooded in.

The rest… was history.

Houki awoke from her self-induced trance, and looked around wildly till her thoughts caught up with her. She was back in her prison. A room still filled with demons and one unknown. Nikolai glanced at her for a moment before coughing and turning his head away.

Taking deep breaths, Houki reached over for the tea on the tray and took thirsty gulps from it, all the while trembling from head to toe. The hot liquid washed down her throat like burning magma, forcing her mind away from those terrible memories.

_You'll be okay, Houki-chan…_ the mantra repeated itself in her head—the very same last words of her dead uncle.

Houki clung to it despite being reminded of the memory each time. The words and the way it was spoken by him gave her hope. A hope she badly needed right now. Rescue would come soon enough. She was sure of it. If not from her sister, who disappeared without notice, then from her parents for sure.

She needed to wait a little longer.

"You'll be okay, Houki-chan…" She whispered quietly. "Everything we'll be okay."

The clock read 8:53 p.m. now and the room hadn't changed.

Same activities played among her kidnappers, one still stared out the windows while the person who had been the most kind to her fiddled with a gun on a table nearby. The laptop was closed and the sounds of the cheering fans from whatever sports they watched, no longer mingled with the mutterings and small laughs of the occupants of the room.

Just her silence and their voices.

Houki shifted around her spot and pulled her knees close to her chest. For now she'll just rest her eyes and prepare for another long night. She wouldn't dare sleep when these _men_ were still around. Not when one of them kept leering at her when no one else was looking.

_I'll just rest for a bit. 5 minutes… maybe._ Houki mentally told herself, despite feeling heavy.

Her eyes drifted closed.

Then…

**- **"Bullshit!" **-**

Houki jolted awake. The loud cry was enough to draw everyone's attention.

A bearded man in his late twenty's glared at another man whose smirk revealed rows of jagged teeth and a pair of the scariest looking eyes that Houki had ever seen. This smirking man was by far the shortest of the group of men playing at the table. Compared to the rest, he was about around her height and just below Nikolai's.

The young girl watched with curious eyes as they argued in their language; Russian, she believed it was. This was not to say that the rest of these men were Russian, rather just the two arguing in front and Nikolai were of the same heritage. The other half were mixed, she learned after being in their custody for the past few days.

They didn't always keep their masks on… Well, except for the one by the table nearby. Nikolai had yet to reveal his face to her.

**- **"You must have cards in your sleeves. How else could you have gotten a royal flush?" -

The bearded man put emphasis by slamming his fist at the table where Houki presumed was something on top. The gestures alone gave her some ideas as to what's going on.

- "Fair is fair, my friend." - The little man replied casually with a shrug. - "I do not cheat. Ask Mr. Xing if you want proof." -

Another must have been dragged into the argument. Houki saw that person raise his hands in a placating matter while saying, "Don't drag me into this!" in plain English.

- "NO! I don't trust outsiders… much less you." - The taller man spat out.

- "Fine, suit yourself; just make sure to bring the money later. I do not like fools who don't pay." -

- "And _**I**_ do not like pompous baboons who cheat!" -

Whatever arguments that followed must've been filled with insults because before Houki knew it the entire room was preoccupied with keeping the two from fighting. In fact, the little man was slugged squarely in the face not a moment later.

Her mind might have been sluggish, but this was probably a good chance to sneak out. Yes, that's right. She should escape now.

"Don't try it, Shinonono-san."

The small whisper beside her stopped her cold. She turned to the only friendly soldier who knew her language so fluently. Houki found him staring through a pair of black shades.

"I can't guarantee you'll be protected at this point." He warned her as he checked his gun. This man was hard to read. "Be patient."

"W-what do you mean?" She asked with a stutter.

He didn't answer and instead pointed at the clock.

It read 8:55 p.m.

Houki blinked confusedly at it then back at him. What could he possibly be implying?

Just when she was about to ask, the lights suddenly went out and the room was covered in darkness.

- "What the fuck!" -

- "Hey! What happened to the lights?" -

- "Blackout? I thought those power generators were top of the line?" -

The cries of the confused men were followed by Nikolai's soft cursing…. In Japanese.

"Damn, they started too early…"

Questions rang loudly in Houki's mind before she felt herself pulled to the ground.

"What are you—"

She didn't get to finish.

An explosion erupted from the outside followed closely by the familiar sounds of gun fire. And before anyone could react, much less take a look, the door to the room burst open.

"Cover your eyes and ears, Shinono-san!"

The warning was well received for not a second later the room was lit like a Christmas tree. Bullets peppered the walls with holes and the bewildered soldiers were instantly mowed down. Houki now understood why her caretaker had pushed her down and protected her with his body.

When things finally settled into silence, Houki was able to breathe again and slowly sat up straight. The room was still pitch black despite the light explosions cast through the window. It was hard to tell things from beyond a few feet.

"Flames." A voice spoke calmly.

"Frost." Came the reply from beside her.

The young girl was bewildered by the exchange before she was suddenly pulled to her feet and came face to face with… another masked soldier?

"Shinonono Houki?"

She didn't reply at first. This stranger, who she assumed had come to rescue her, if his actions so far weren't a clear indication, was just about the same height as her if a little taller by a few centimeters. He sounded quite young too…

Houki looked him over to find him equipped much differently from her captors and far more armed. He wore a grey hood over his head, a black face mask and what appeared to be some kind of goggles over his eyes. Body armor encompassed his upper body with ammunition and tools poking out from it's numerous pouches. Furthermore, ammunition pouches dressed his cargo pants. In his hands was an AK-47 assault rifle that many of the guards here carried around. The barrel looked to be smoking still.

"Are you Shinonono Houki-san?" He repeated, drawing her attention once more.

"It's her." Her caretaker answered for her.

The young-sounding soldier turned to him. "Wraith, I presume?"

Houki glanced questioningly at her protector. _Wraith? I thought he was called Nikolai…_

"Yea… you're a bit early though aren't you?" Wraith looked around for a moment. "Where's the others?"

They were speaking in Japanese now, making Houki feel a bit welcome in a way and not out of the loop.

"Things happened so we decided to split. We'll talk later. Now is not the best time."

As if to make a point, an explosion from the outside shook the building they were on. The fighting going on was quickly intensifying it seems. The three of them stuck close to the walls and away from the windows with their heads ducked low.

"Our birds will be here shortly so let's move." The newcomer ordered.

He gave a silent gesture to Wraith who nodded.

"Right… Shinonono-san." Wraith said.

"H-hai?" She squeaked. "What is it?"

"Our apologies." The newcomer answered instead before pulling out a gun and pointing it at her.

Houki felt a brief pain shot up from her neck before everything started to spin. Her shock turned into confusion as her world slowly darkened even more. What did they do to her?

"Don't worry Shinonono-san, we'll get you home soon. Urzu7, keep her safe, I'll take point."

Strange, Wraith's Russian accent was gone and he sounded very feminine right then…

Houki stared at the silent soldier she was left with. At least, she tried to through her swimming vision.

"W-what did y-you do to me?" She weakly asked.

Her eyes blurred completely and she felt herself wobble then fall. Houki tried to find something to stop herself, but instead felt strong arms catch her.

"Just a tranquilizing shot. No harm done." The young voice of her shooter offered.

Houki wanted to say something in return, but found that she had no strength to do so. Instead, she leaned on his embrace in hopes that he wouldn't do anything to her. By now her eyes had already closed and she was staying conscious on just will power alone. She needed reassuring words—any at all that would help ease her troubled mind.

"Rest easy, Shinonono-san, you're safe now."

And when those words were spoken, Houki knew right then that everything was going to be just fine...

"Hm…you're still conscious? My apologies. I'll give you another dose."

- Snap. Ka-click. -

_Eh…?_

* * *

><p><strong>0415 Hours, August 13, 2013 (Time Zone Unknown)<br>****Location Unknown  
><strong>**Dr. Shinonono Tabane**

A young woman with beautiful pink hair and odd bunny-ear accessories sat on a comfy looking bean bag, diligently working on a blue holoscreen before her. Her large pink colored eyes scanned over rapid numbers and text as she pounded the near transparent keys with unrelenting fervor. To someone from the outside she appeared to be having fun with her work, smiling like she usually does, however, that was not the case today. The smile which she sported had a very, very small strain in it.

Switching to another screen that appeared above the first, Shinonono Tabane, Scientist and world renowned creator of I-S (Infinite Stratos), pursed her lips. The large display she had summoned was streaming a footage captured by Satellite feeds of a battle that took place many hours ago. To say she was interested in seeing humans kill each other would be considered offensive. No… what she was specifically watching for was a particular group of figures moving away from the chaotic warzone. They were only 3 of them with one carrying a very precious load over his back.

She watched the video with great interest until finally concluding it with the arrival of a certain I-S. The good Dr. already knew the outcome and thus closed the holoscreen without much thought. She then focused on the little window she had minimized on her first screen.

Bringing it up once more, she couldn't help but smile a she ran her eyes through the list of personnel from a certain Paramilitary Organization. One can even find the high ranking officials among it. As for how she got a hold of them… well, she had her ways.

And quite a few friends from high places.

A small red display suddenly blinked open, calling her urgent attention with a 'Priority Message' label blinking in bolded yellow letters.

She gave pause before swiping her hand over it.

The screen expanded and an aged man in his late 40's with grey hair and tanned skin appeared. He wore a grey military uniform adorned by breast pockets, patches and medal of a small silver eagle. He stood at attention like all military men did when facing their superiors.

"Good day to you, Dr. Shinonono." He greeted politely.

She smiled prettily and waved. "Hiya! Um… who are you again?"

The man gave a cough before replying. "Andrei Sergeivich Kalinin. Lieutenant Commander of Mithril's Western Pacific Battle Group: Tuatha de Danaan, and its' SRT forces. I'm currently acting as Mithril's Representative, Ma'am."

"Ah!" Tabane clapped her hands together and gave a smile. "Now I remember. Sorry about that, I sometimes forget people's names."

"It's alright Dr., I understand."

"So, what can I do for you Andrei-san?—is it okay if I speak Japanese? I'm still fixing my super duper universal translator."

"As you wish, Shinonono-sensei." Kalinin replied albeit with a hint of Russian accent. "I called to inform you that our mission was a success. Your little sister, Shinonono Houki-san, is safe and sound within our custody and is receiving medical attention as we speak."

Shinonono cheered at the news before suddenly bolting forward towards the screen. The abrupt action caused the aging Lieutenant to lean back ever so slightly.

"How's my Houki-chan? Was she badly hurt?" She asked worriedly, her big eyes intensely gazing at him.

"Erhm," Kalinin brought up a pad and looked over it for a moment. "She suffered a few minor injuries during the escape and was diagnosed with sleep deprivation upon first contact during the mission. One of our soldiers, Sgt. Sousuke Sagara, took immediate action and provided her with proper medical attention. She's currently recovering in our medical bay."

Satisfied with the explanation, the pink haired woman sat back on her seat. "Oh thank goodness… I really appreciate your organization's efforts, Andrei-san and please give my regards to Sou-kun for his help."

"Pardon me, Shinonono-sensei… by Sou-kun, do you mean Sgt. Sagara-san?"

Tabane nodded enthusiastically. "M-hm, that's right. Please give my thanks to him for helping my sister. Oh and tell him he's an awesome soldier! Tabane the genius loves awesome kids like him."

She finished with a smile and a heart formed by her fingers as emphasis.

"… I'll pass on your message when I see him." Kalinin nodded respectfully. "Now, regarding Shinono-san's safety and transfer to her home…

"Since you did not wish to be discovered, we've taken the liberty of contacting your parents as well as the Japanese Government and have scheduled a drop off near the port of Fukui, Japan. A small guard detail consisting elements from our SRT and that of Task Force 141 will escort your imouto there. The estimated time for this operation will be from 3:50pm to 4:30pm while the meeting arrangement is set at 4pm sharp. Is this acceptable?"

"Just one question." Tabane admitted.

Kalinin nodded for her to continue.

"I did my homework and now know quite a few things about Task Force 141, but I'm not exactly sure if I could trust them. Sure, they're professional and are the best of the best if their mission records are anything to go by. It's just that, I prefer it if only your group alone handles my Houki-chan's safety. I'm more accustomed to you guys than them, after all."

The aged lieutenant must've considered this for he didn't need to think twice before speaking. "I understand your suspicions and appreciate your utmost trust for our organization's abilities however; I ask that you would give them a chance. They may not be part of Mithril, but they are more than trustworthy in my book.

"As you have might have read from their records, as well as our own, we've spent quite a number of missions with them for the past 5 years. Although aligned with a separate faction of unknown agendas, their member's have proven themselves to be highly loyal and dedicated. This is from both my experience as well as a few of our operatives." He drew breath. "We'd like to continue to improve our relationship with this group of soldiers so please give this old man a benefit of a doubt and allow them to operate with us on this mission."

Tabane considered this for a moment. Her head swung back and forth in an odd rhythm before stopping.

"Okay… I'll allow it, but on one condition." She stated with an index finger held up. "You have to be one of the men to escort her. I won't take no for an answer."

Whatever thoughts or reaction that the lieutenant might have didn't show in his face. Instead, he stood stock still for a moment as if calculating her request. His eyes were narrowed in contemplation and angled away from her gaze.

"Alright…" He spoke after a minute of silence. "I'll agree to your condition, Shinonono-sensei."

"Great!" Tabane chirped happily.

"Now that we've got that settled let us move on to the next subject." Kalinin said with a polite gesture of a hand.

"Of course, of course, Andrei-san. Go ahead; I'm all ears, tee-hee." The woman giggled at the end while pointing at the metallic bunny ears adorning her head.

"Regarding your request from our Research Division… the IS modifications you've given us had been proven successful from our own field tests. There have been some minor problems that require your expertise, however. The weapons system you've developed has already been considered and the division is thankful for helping them improve on their current experiments. They've gathered all the data acquired from the research and is compiled and ready for you as per our agreement."

"I'm glad I was helpful to you all, just don't expect further developments on my end, k?" She got a crisp nod in reply. "Okies, please forward them to the usual place. I'll send the new coordinates in my next report."

"Understood." There was a brief moment of taking notes before Kalinin resumed his talk. "Now for the last subject…"

He placed his pad aside and stared at her pointedly.

"I believe you've already read my men's dossiers, correct?"

The usually energetic scientist scratched her cheek in embarrassment as she nodded. "Yes sir, I've just finished reading the last one!"

"I see. Then is it alright to assume that you already have someone in mind for what we've discussed on our last meeting?"

"I do," Tabaned agreed without skipping a beat, "but I'm waiting to see something. So if you don't mind, I'd like to have some more time to think about this."

If it was possible, the lieutenant straightened his posture even more as he spoke. "Shinonono-sensei, if you'd like to know more about my men then please don't hesitate to ask me. I can provide further information about them as well as my opinion if they are more than qualified for this upcoming assignment."

"I know that, Andrei-san, and I'm pretty sure you know a lot more about the person I have in mind if I were to ask." She admitted. "I'd just like to observe him for myself for a little longer."

They stood staring at each other through the screen; one with a carefree smile and the other with a near expressionless face. None of them wanted to make a sound and so they played the silent staring game.

Time moved slowly.

Eventually, the older of the two gave out and sighed.

"Very well, I'll check back with you in a few days." He announced. "Please have your decision by then. Our organization is always busy and so cannot wait any further than that."

"Okies, I'll have my choice when you call back." Tabane reassured him with a thumb up. "I promise."

The Lieutenant nodded and gave a crisp salute. "It's been a pleasure speaking with you again, Shinonono-sensei. Goodbye for now."

"Bye-bye, Andrei-san!"

The screen closed and Tabane was once more alone in her world. Although that never dampened her mood nor erase that smile she continued to carry. In fact, she seemed happier about something.

She reached for her cell-phone and opened it. After clicking a few buttons a picture of her beloved sister filled the screen. Houki was smiling in this one albeit partly garbed in her kendo uniform and a bit dirty looking. The young woman smiled fondly at the picture. It was one of the few treasured moments of her life before all these IS business got in the way.

"If things go well, Houki-chan…" Tabane whispered while caressing her sister's portrait affectionately. "You'll have another friend to count on."

Beside her, a blue screen opened up and information of a certain young soldier filled it with data. A picture of him stood to one side while his name was highlighted next to it. And just as quickly as it started another smaller window winked into view over it.

The message printed was in bold white colors against a black background.

_**Sgt. Sousuke "Kashim" Sagara, B-3128… Accepted.**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Prologue End<br>Transmission terminated...**_

* * *

><p><em><span>A<span>/N: Hey all. I'm still alive. I just got into this anime series is all. But anyways, the past number of weeks hasn't been the best for me. Both in terms of art and writing. I'm in what you call a slump. And to make it much more terrible is that my F'n Pen tablet is broken =/. I've been dying to complete one of my friend's works but I have to put it on hold for another week or so till I get a replacement OTL._

_ Initially, this wasn't the fanfic I intended to post. Rather the KHR x Negima crossover I had planned was scrapped. I lost the USB containing the final draft and THAT my friends... seriously pissed me off. So I decided to just work on this and do the whole fanfic over for that particular crossover all over again... ;A;. so sad. As for why I didn't have it saved on my computer... to put it simply. It keeps getting erased. Thats why. I still gotta fix my files and see whats doing it._

_Anyways, for those who haven't noticed yet... I do have some fanart for crossovers posted in my DA account and a few links leading to a few of my works are in my profile. There's a few ISxNaruto art I drew if you guys haven't checked it out yet. It features sketches of Naruto and Rin. And for those eager to see my KHRxNaruto fanfic... I drew a scene of it. I'll have it up on my profile so please check it out. Comment if you can too lol. Your opinion and thoughts on it matter to me... unless its pure flames. Then I don't care lol. _

**Important:** Yes, I think you've realized that I've played Modern Warfare 2 and 3. I love those games (and franchise.) For those who dislike the game... please kindly keep your opinion's to yourself. I don't want to hear them. As for further questions that may arise due to some key elements incorporated in this prologue... I'll answer them to the best I can. Pairing wise... I'll leave that for people to figure out.

Hope you all had a wonderful read. Here's my contribution to the IS crossover section.

**_P.S._**_ Sousuke Sagara ties in first place beside Naruto in my ranking list. He's just awesome is why._


	2. Meeting

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Full Metal Panic or Infinite Stratos. They belong to their respective creators and publishers.

* * *

><p><strong>Full I-S panic<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1: Meeting<strong>

"_I'll let you go this time but if I see you doing this again, I'll come after you and your relatives." _~ Sousuke Sagara

* * *

><p><strong>0855 hours, September 30, 2013 (Kilo Time Zone)<br>****Pacific Ocean, near the East Coast of Japan  
><strong>**Aboard the 'Tuatha de Danaan'  
><strong>**Mithril Special Response Team (SRT)  
><strong>**Sgt. Sousuke "Kashim" Sagara…**

A salvo of gun fire sounded throughout the room as a small group of Mithril's Special Response Team took turns shooting their targets. They were half a dozen in number and held different firearms within their respective stations. Numerous metal panels baring circular rings and riddled with bullet holes faded in and out many yards in front of them.

Out of the entire soldiers gathered one stood out like a sore thumb. A young boy aiming down the sights of his 'Beretta 92 Combat L' handgun was unusual to see amongst men and women who've reach passed their late 20s. The obvious size difference was one indication that drew curious looks, while the other…

_**Bang!**_

"Holy shit man…a bull's eye."

…was apparently his impressive weapon skill.

_**Bang! **_

A target went down.

_**Bang-Bang!**_

Then another two.

_**Bang!**_

When the last target vanished from sight a low whistle followed.

"Damn, Sagara… ya' got a bone to pick with 'em metal flats?"

"Naw, he's just like that, a real dead-shot with firearms—kinda like Weber with his Sniper-rifle."

Sousuke ignored them and activated a switch underneath the station he was using. Somewhere on the very other side of the room a rumbling sound erupted as fresh batches of practice panels popped into view. This time they were all moving in random patterns.

The young sergeant ejected the spent clip from his gun and loaded a fresh one in. These targets were very difficult in some cases so he needed to take his time shooting.

He calmly took aim at his first choice then fired.

_**Bang!**_

Another hit, another Bull's-eye.

This continued for a time with the young soldier remaining diligently silent. Most of his comrade's respected his space and allowed him to shoot peacefully as they resumed their own practice. Just what Sousuke wanted: Him, his gun and over two-dozen moving target. The young sergeant had to keep practicing to ensure that his skills remained sharp, so being deadly accurate was a must.

Bullet after bullet found their mark as Sousuke immersed himself in his own little world. He tried visualizing himself in the battlefield; imagining a war happening in an urban setting with his enemies playing hide-and-seek behind concrete cover. Even though there was a combat simulator for that the Sergeant still did it out of habit here in the firing range. It helped him keep his attention focused rather than on autopilot.

When the last shot had gone, Sousuke found himself alone. The others had already left the room and gone off elsewhere, probably retiring to their personal quarters or reporting to the superiors about a certain mission. It was usually one of those two things. He didn't pay it much further thought and instead returned to his self-training.

Just as his hand reached for the switch, one of his superiors strolled into the room. This particular man, however, was a very old and familiar acquaintance of Sousukes'; one that he respected very much.

"Sir!" He barked out with a crisp salute.

Andrei Kalanin returned the gesture with a nod as he came to stand in front of him. Sousuke swiftly relaxed his stance and stood at attention with his hands held behind his back.

"Good morning, Sergeant." The older man greeted. "I hope I wasn't interrupting your practice session."

"No sir. I was just getting ready to clean up."

The younger sergeant flipped another switch nearby and watched as the targets disappeared from view. His superior gazed approvingly at his action.

"Very well then, I have a special assignment for you from the higher-ups."

The aging man handed him the manila folder he carried with him. Sousuke blinked at it questioningly. They were of a fairly decent size and looked to be a few hours' worth of reading.

"A solo mission?" He inquired, respectfully accepting them with both hands.

Kalinin nodded in response. "Yes Sergeant, it's a mission tasked to you and you only. The higher-ups have been debating about this particular assignment for a couple months now. It's only been recently that they've come to a decision."

Sousuke took a moment to leaf through the contents. While there were a lot to scan he managed to spot a few familiar documents. There was the logistics sheet meant for his use/reference, rules and protocols packet, some photo documents indentifying places of interest, records about some people, and finally some data regarding other subjects/objectives in the mission; the usual things.

"To summarize your mission altogether," Kalinin continued just as Sousuke looked up. "You'll be performing an undercover assignment for one Tabane Shinonono in order to safeguard her little sister, Houki Shinonono, from harm."

The young sergeant was startled by this, and it showed in the way his eyes lit up and lips curved into a minute frown. The genius scientist who created the I-S and is supposedly 'The Most Wanted Person in the World' requested this mission of him?

"That's rather hard to believe, Sir." He spoke cautiously. "I thought that the current whereabouts of Dr. Shinonono is unknown? Didn't Intelligence say as much?"

"You are correct, however, while we do not know her exact location she _has_ kept in contact with us since her disappearance. It's usually through private video conferences or via e-mail." Kalinin explained. "Just because she doesn't want to be found doesn't mean she's unreachable, sergeant. Should Dr. Shinonono desire it we can establish a line at any given time and arrange a proper meeting."

Sagara fell silent, allowing the information to sink in as his superior continued.

"Now, as you might have guessed, the higher-ups were not happy about this arrangement at all hence the long debate. They had deemed this mission too important for you to handle and should be dealt with appropriately. Giving it to a more _qualified_ soldier within our ranks was their initial choice..."

_True enough._ Sagara mentally agreed.

While he was a competent soldier with at least 4 years of full combat experience under his belt, Sousuke was still seen as too young by some of the more conservative groups in the organization. Sending a child—well, preteen in Sagara's case—was downright idiotic. There were many possible scenarios that required more than just his current skill set and equipment; past experiences notwithstanding. Other critical assets were necessary.

Adding further to this, the paper's he glanced through did not contain any familiar sheets regarding other Mithril Operatives. That there was a sign that he won't be receiving a supporting unit on this mission; much less a chaperon to ensure his success like from past assignments before. This'll prove to be a mistake should some unaccounted elements are overlooked by the 'Intelligence Division,' which sometimes do occur during covert missions. They more often than not spell certain failure or doom for Mithril operatives.

All missions, solo and otherwise, required at least a small team of supporting operatives when it comes to the younger members, separate from HQ, that'll aid him or her. Most especially when the mission involves HVIs (Highly-Valued-Individuals) considered crucial to Mithril. They'll be his eyes and ears in the actual field and can rely on them for further hands-on support should any desperate needs arises; specifically when dire circumstances deny him reinforcements or aid of any sort. Mithril's basic training program stated as much. And while it's a given fact that Sousuke was capable in his own right—even for his age, if he faced far superior odds without nearby backup then it's mission failed already. The enemy had mostly likely won, and they, Mithril, have lost.

Game Over.

So it stands to reason that the sergeant was rather confused about this mission. He appreciated the fact that the higher-ups had, perhaps, taken him seriously as a soldier but it just didn't make sense to at all. If such a flaw was obvious why didn't they go through with their intended plan rather than the Doctor's request of his sole participation on this mission?

"… Why did they still choose me?"

The question was predictable. Kalinin practically saw that coming from a mile away with the look the young sergeant now sported.

"It is because we owe much to the good doctor. I can't explain it anymore than that." Kalinin answered softly. "You may not know this, but Dr. Shinonono carries a rather great deal of weight in our organization despite her position as a supposed civilian. I'm not saying this because of her given title and support for our organization, Sagara, but for other reasons as well."

Furrowing his brow slightly in curiosity, Sagara waited for further explanations, unknowingly eliciting a small chuckle from the older militant.

"Listen, knowledge and reasoning will come in time, just as experience and growth comes with age." Kalaninin said kindly. "You will understand our reasons for supporting the doctor someday. For now focus on the task at hand. This covert assignment will test both your skills and experience as a soldier thus far. Are you prepared for this task, Sergeant?"

Whatever traces of thoughts lingering at the tip of his tongue quickly vanished as confidence and resolve took over. He straightened his posture and gaze intensely forward, hardening once more into the soldier that he was. Regardless of the problems that will surely arise during the mission he still had a job to fulfill and a life needing protection. As a soldier of Mithril, and by god of the heavens above, he—Sergeant Sousuke "Kashim" Sagara—will take this assignment head on.

"It will be an honor to carry out this mission, sir!" He barked loudly, eyes brimming with steel determination.

He didn't see it, but the eyes of his superior twinkled with a near obscure emotion; something between amusement and pride… or perhaps both.

"Very good. We're counting on you so don't' let us down." Kalinin saluted him. "You'll depart tomorrow morning at 0530 hours. Good luck."

"Sir, yes Sir!"

The lieutenant Commander left soon after, leaving the young sergeant to look over the rest of the papers.

He found some rather curious information that prompted him to tilt his head to the side slightly in an attempt to understand what he was reading…

"What is Hidan no Aria… Puella Magi Madoka Magica and… Bleach—detergent for clothes?"

These given examples of some books read in Japan were very… _interesting,_ to say the least for Sousuke. He planned on delving deeper into this Anime/manga when he had the chance to. This must be important if it was mixed in with the 'rules of engagement' spreadsheets.

Being who he was, the young sergeant intended to follow through with his research.

"Decorate the house with Christmas lights… Hmm, perhaps this is common in Japan; to help me assimilate better with the civilians, no doubt." He nodded at his logical reasoning. "Of course, I understand now."

Yes, this _other _list must be _very_ important for his mission as well.

* * *

><p>Somewhere within Mithril's many submerged fleets, hidden away amongst a cluster of books and blueprints of a room, an unnamed Intelligence Officer frowned at the papers on her desk.<p>

"Secure AO (Area of Operation) and proceed to objectives A1 to A5? Requisition options available on page 11?—these aren't my niece's wish list... where the hell did they go!?"

* * *

><p><strong>Tuesday, October 1, 2013<br>****6:03 a.m. (Local Time)  
><strong>**City of Fukushima, Japan  
><strong>**Shinonono Residence**

Houki awoke with a start, rubbing the sands of sleep from her eyes as she rose from her dreamless slumber. She let out a weak yawn and lazily silenced her offending alarm clock with a hand.

"So sleepy… sleepy…" She murmured.

Garbed in her plain white kimono, Houki drowsily slid off of her comfortable bed, stumbling her way towards the bathroom in an almost drunken manner as she tried to start her day. The lights flickered on with a click and the faucet soon welcomed her with warm water, sending pleasant sensations coursing through her awakening body and washing away what sleep that still lingered.

When she had finally regained full awareness and gotten dress she sauntered towards the kitchen sedately, not entirely enthusiastic about the day but rather expectant and resigned.

The entire apartment, from her room to the kitchen, was silent and dark, completely devoid of sentient life. What little of the early morning's light filtered through the cracks of the blinds, illuminating the fridge and the tiled flooring of her kitchen. There was no sweet aroma of warm breakfast awaiting her at the dining table nor were there any cheerful greetings of 'good morning' from the parents who should have been there. This was the setting one would expect from living alone. While her family lived elsewhere due to work and some unexplained circumstances, Houki was left behind, as per her wish, and given a monthly allowance to sustain herself with in this large apartment home.

_It's been like this for nearly three months, I should be used to it by now…_

Houki bit her lower lip as she ignored the absence of company and the lonely feeling it brought in favor of scrounging up a decent meal. She made do with a simple breakfast of sunny side up eggs, a few strips of bacon, a couple pieces of buttered toast and a nice glass of cold milk to wash it all down with. She ate her meal in silence with only the sounds of the early morning news set on her TV to keep her company.

With that distraction present she finished her meal in record time, buying her a few minutes to consider her bento's options for the day. A rather rare opportunity, really, considering most days left her little time to cook a filling meal, much less prepare a nice bento for lunch at school.

After washing the dishes and wrapping her bento in a green cloth, Houki returned to her room for her schoolbag and bokken before heading out. The need to apply makeup and the like to look pretty never crossed her mind. And why would it? The place she was headed to had no need for such things… not for her, anyways.

The weather outside was cold with the sky tainted by orange hues. The sun may have risen but it was still far from being bright. As Houki navigated the empty streets of her neighborhood she gazed out onto the city's beautiful scenery to help her pass the time.

Fukushima City had changed dramatically since the nuclear crisis 2 years ago. The changes it undertook affected many of the surrounding businesses and the small community of homes that made up a good portion of the city's structural population. Tall corporate buildings blocked a majority of the ocean from view and left daunting shadows cast over smaller areas of the city, blanketing them like a suppressing figure. It didn't obstruct her personal view—not from her vantage point at the least—but it did give her something to frown on. Despite nature's beauty adapting to the city's advanced structures and concrete pavements, Houki still longed for the olden times where nature flourished freely as wild life sang in joyous harmony; those pleasant childhood days that were spent surrounded by towering greenery and her one true friend, Orimura Ichika.

She smiled lightly when her thoughts drifted towards the boy. He often teased her thoughts whenever she visited the past. He was like a pestering telemarketer that would call whenever she passed her house phone by chance. Granted he was far less annoying then the genuine article, he still remained a ghostly comfort to her and certainly wouldn't want him to be replaced by anyone else.

Houki briefly wondered what he was doing right now, and if he still practiced kendo like her. The past tournaments she's participated in yielded no results of him despite her firm belief of their fated reunion. At this point she was considering the idea of actually searching for him herself if he didn't crop up soon. The fact that his gift to her—a green ribbon she deeply cherished—remained tied to her hair only tempted these thoughts further.

Before long, the young kendoist arrived at her school, a place well kempt with beautiful gardens and facilities meant for the rich. And as she walked past the gates and into the school building, she donned a carefully crafted mask of indifference that stood out amongst the cheerful auras of her peers walking near her.

There was a reason why a frown marred her pretty face most of the time.

"It's Shinonono-sama."

"The princess is here, eh? I'm getting out of here…"

"Quick, contact her guards and form an escort. She must get to her class safely!"

Conversations from all around became hushed as their previous activities halted at her arrival. Some students even went as far as giving her enough space to flatten the others onto the walls, avoiding her entirely like some walking plague…

…Okay, so maybe her glowering visage had something to do with their behavior…

Nevertheless, this was what her typical school life had been like; admired, feared, isolated. She had the ability and choice to change it, but her emotions and reasoning were already set in place long after leaving her hometown. Houki almost wished she had stayed at that port city she vacationed in several months ago, right after her subsequent abduction and rescue. At the very least those past few weeks had been calming and enjoyable.

She mentally sighed and hastily proceeded to her classroom in hopes of avoiding further attention, ignoring most of the formal greetings and attempts at conversation with blatant apathy. Those that felt stung by her behavior bit back with low growls and insults so loud that they might as well have shouted it out.

"Arrogant Bitch…"

"One of these days she's gonna get it. Mock my words."

Arriving at the classroom she settled silently into her assigned seat and waited for class to begin. There were still a few of her classmates fidgeting nearby, but she managed to keep them at bay by busying herself with reviewing yesterday's notes, unintentionally giving the air of a top student. If it weren't for the fact that everyone knew her grades were average, if not a little lower, Houki might have been considered the school's number one idol—her title 'princess' not deeming her an instant idol. But that aside, she prayed that school would start soon just in case any of her classmates worked up the courage to approach her.

Thankfully her prayer was answered almost immediately as the homeroom teacher passed through the door with an entourage of eager students trailing right behind her. The remaining stragglers filed in not long after the final bell, and the room soon permeated with the drones of greetings, roll call and the start of a repetitive lecture. Houki couldn't help but let out another internal sigh at this.

_It's going to be a long day._

* * *

><p><strong>1055 hours, October 1, 2013 (India Time Zone)<br>****Fukushima, Japan  
><strong>**Temporary Base of Operation  
><strong>**Sgt. Sousuke "Kashim" Sagara**

Sagara set the last box of munitions onto the floor and wiped the beads of sweat gathering around his brows. Around him stood many other boxes littering the wooden floor; some stacked high into the ceiling like miniature sky scrapers while the rest crowded the room and hallways of his temporary home in near equal measure. It had taken him approximately three hours to arrive at his designated AO, and then another two to finish unloading his stuff; necessities like provisions, weapons, and specially the new hardware equipments he had graciously received from Mithril's R&D division just this morning. He would have started securing his perimeter over an hour ago if not for the unexpected shipments of extra supplies from Mithril.

Now his home was filled to the brim with mostly munitions and probably some dangerous ordinance he's yet to take stock of. Sagara belatedly realized that he'd have to return some of these to the storage truck he's been given if he wanted some room to move around in, never mind the space required for his equipment. That'll take another hour at most considering the organizing needed to be done once everything was stored.

The sergeant frowned down on the boxes he'd just finished placing before maneuvering his way to the table he had set up earlier. He pushed aside some papers and the med-kit lying atop it in search of his phone; the brand new one that was issued to him before his departure from the TDD. It was a gift from Madame Captain who, for some reason or another, suggested he'd contact her personally for any issues that might occur during the mission, or if he simply wanted someone to talk to.

She told him that it was part of his training to better assimilate himself in his new surroundings, and insisted that he kept his phone with him at all times. It was understandable considering the secrecy of his mission. Yet she had also mentioned—almost imploringly—that the general populace sent 'text messages' on a regular basis—something he _needed _to do with her often as possible, apparently.

"_When you text me, treat it as if you were doing a debriefing. Make it sound like we're having a casual conversation_." She had explained with a smile. _"From now on we'll be playing the roles of childhood friends, okay Sagara-san? This'll be part of your cover so be sure to keep in touch with me when time allows—preferably every day if you can. I mean, it'll be great if we can chat about your mission and stuff… every night, or morning? Perhaps in the afternoon as well?"_

Sousuke couldn't tell if it was more of a personal request, a suggestion, or an order of sorts and so just assumed it to be the latter case of the last two. She is his superior so everything she said must be an order. That's what his logic told him.

Now Sagara didn't quite know when he should contact her today so he figured he'd just leave her a text for now. He fumbled for his phone that had been buried beneath his mission papers and quickly switched it on. Operating the small device wasn't hard, but figuring out what to actually send was troublesome.

"Sagara….reporting…." He murmured as his thumbs worked over the touch screen of his Iphone.

It took him a long moment but he managed to send his first ever text to his superior. He then returned to tackling the boxes once more, hoping to finish unpacking most of his equipment and gear by lunch. His additional weapons and Arm Slave (AS) inside the truck outside can wait later.

He was just about to carry two of his munitions boxes out the door when his cellphone buzzed with a few high pitch 'beeps.' He rushed to answer it.

_**:D Sagara-kun!**_ The first text almost made him trip to the ground. That wasn't what he was expecting. _**You shouldn't be so stiff and formal with your messages!**_

Shaking his head, Sousuke tried to reply but found another message already appearing below the first.

_**When texting you should limit your words and disregard proper grammar and spelling most of the time; sort of like coding.**_

Followed by another one…

_**For now I'll use complete sentences until we've established that properly. P.S. delete all messages when we're done.**_

He hurriedly replied with a "Yes ma'am," that took more time to form than he would've liked.

Damn, he needed to practice his 'texting' method. If he can't perform as fast as his Madame Captain then that'll prove his incompetence with technology, something which he prided himself to be an expert of. Really, he should have stayed up-to-date with civilian tech such as these. That old Nokia flip-up phone he had been using up till now just didn't cut it anymore. And he's from Mithril, one of the most the technologically advanced Military Organization in the world….

_**So, have you settled in yet?**_

"Ne…ga…tive…" He murmured and hit the 'send' button.

_**Why don't you take a break from unpacking and explore your surroundings?**_ She suggested.

_**No ma'am.**_ He replied. _**Too many things to organize here at the moment. I'll do some recon later once I've stored the munitions away.**_

_**That's no good Sagara-kun!**_ Sousuke can almost visualize her pouting disapprovingly from the other line. _**You can do that after taking a break. Go sightseeing or something. Check on the school you'll be attending and perhaps see how Shinonono-san is doing…**_

She didn't give him enough time to form any reply whatsoever and all the constant beeping was beginning to annoy the young sergeant. Where was the volume options located at?

Sighing internally, he thanked the brief lull in his Captain's messages and sent one of his own. _**Understood, commencing reconnaissance and observation of the target. I will contact you about it later, Ma'am.**_

_**It's 'txt u l8er,' Sagara-kun.**_ She corrected before ending with: _** You go ahead and do just that, I'll expect it this evening. Anytime between 9 to 12 will do. Until then take care Sagara-kun, I'll talk to you soon.**_

_**Understood Ma'am. Sagara out.**_

Making a mental note of the proposedtime slot, Sagara deleted the history of their conversation and went to find his duffel bag. It was lying near the closet, hiding between a stack of silver briefcases. He dug through its contents and pulled on a black cap and some special sunglasses developed by Mithril. He then donned a plain grey buttoned-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a black cargo shorts that went a little more pass the knee. The numerous pouches dressing it provided him an ample of options on what to bring.

Only God knows how he liked to be well prepared.

Checking himself a final time in front of the mirror and padding the gun and ammo clips safely concealed on his person he stepped out the door with his mission in mind.

To his surprise, the landlady of the apartment complex stood just outside his door, looking like she was about to knock with her hand and clenched into a loose fist. She seemed equally startled as she took a moment's pause to lower her hand and greet him with a polite smile.

"Sagara-kun was it?"

The preteen hesitated briefly before responding in a manner he hoped was respectful enough. "How may I help you… Landlady-dono?"

"My goodness." She giggled softly, shoulder length auburn hair shifting over her shoulders as a hand covered a modest smile. "No need to be so formal Sagara-kun! I came up to see how you we're doing and if you needed any help with your belongings."

She indiscreetly peeked over him to spy inside the room, unknowingly garnering his suspicions. Was that all she really wanted? Why did she choose now to greet him when he was alone? Was she an enemy in disguise? Should he knock her out and take her inside for questioning? No one was around so there were no possible witnesses if he did so now.

Those were just a few things running through his head and Sousuke would have acted upon them if not for his Captain's earlier advice.

"_Observe and act like your age. Don't make any irrational actions that can jeopardize the mission, remember your covert-training Sagara-san. "_

The teen shook his head stiffly and replied. "You're offer is much appreciated Ma'am, but I'm managing quite fine by myself—no need to assist me."

"Are you sure?" She pressed. "That's an awful lot of boxes you have inside there…"

"I'm positive, ma'am." He replied albeit a bit forceful as he stepped out the door and locked it. "I'm off to do some… shopping, right now." He declared awkwardly. "So if you'll excuse me."

It was stiff, it was simple, it was so damn obvious he was making an excuse that she'll likely be…

"Oh, alright then!"

… fooled…

Sagara blinked dumbly at that. She looked clearly convinced as she nodded her head a few times in understanding while still maintaining a smile.

"I'll just stop by some other time if you don't mind." She said instead. "I just want to get to know you a bit just like with the other tenants of this apartment. I hope it isn't a bother to you."

Sagara held his guard up and responded cautiously. "No, that's… acceptable."

After waving goodbye and swiftly stepping inside the elevator, Sousuke couldn't help but scrutinize the smiling woman. There was just an odd feeling about her that he couldn't quite place. Perhaps she was just one of those odd women that Kurtz talked about; the type that were all smiles and generally kind?

When she seemed to check on the other residents he dismissed his thoughts and awaited the descent to ground level. He'll have plenty of time to ponder and investigate the landlady later. For now he needed to prioritize his recon and safety of his target.

"Have a safe trip, Sagara-kun." She suddenly called out just as the elevator doors began closing. There was an odd twinkle in her eye the split second their gaze met—something akin to a predator's look.

That set off some alarms in his head and so Sousuke made a mental note to check her background later.

* * *

><p><strong>1239 hours, October 1, 2013 (India Time Zone)<br>****Fukushima, Japan  
><strong>**School Garden  
><strong>**Sgt. Sousuke "Kashim" Sagara**

Getting pass the gates wasn't hard. There were no teachers patrolling the courtyard near the entrance, or the surrounding area for that matter, making infiltration as simple as climbing over the most inconspicuous part of the 8 or so foot brick wall surrounding the campus like a mediocre burglar and then waltzing off unopposed. Sagara was just in time to settle atop a tree overlooking a peacefully secluded garden when the bell rang for lunch.

He hoped that was the bell for lunch. Last he checked the school's lunch hour was noon-ish, and his digital watched read 12:40 p.m. local time.

Some distance away he caught sight of many students garbed in dark grey uniforms beginning to exit the main building; heading off to what he presumed was the canteen. Another group filtered out from another building some ways away; tired looking females garbed in short green shorts and loose fitting white-shirts. By looks alone they appeared to have just concluded their P.E. class and were seeking some place to rest more so than to satisfy their stomachs.

Several minutes of observing various activities eventually lead to the arrival of one familiar girl. The same green ribbon kept her dark hair steady and neat as it swayed back and forth behind her elegant looking form. The past several months had done her some good as he noted the healthy complexion coloring her visage and the overall relaxed posture signifying her rejuvenated vitality. He knew this person already but didn't hesitate to double check things as a precaution. He tapped the side of his shades and inspected the blue-printed data cascading down the right lens, comparing it to the girl approaching his position as detailed analysis and audio queries fed through his earpiece.

"Target Confirmed." He murmured, straightening up and briefly scanning the surrounding area for any others. "Shinonono Houki. Age 13. Middle school student with average grades and a runner-up of last year's international kendo tournament. In a family of four with her parents and an older sister. The father currently works overseas, particularly in the US, while the mother maintains a shrine near I-S Academy. The eldest sister Shinonono Tabane – world renowned scientist and creator of IS— has been reported missing but apparently in contact with Mithril. Has no known illness thus far. Contacts/Acquaintances are minimal. And her three measurements are B74-3—wait, what?" He blinked distractedly at what he was reading. "Someone's been messing with the intel again…"

Shaking his head, Sagara returned to his surveillance, filing away his target's data for the moment. Houki had settled on a nearby bench with a pink bento opened in preparation for lunch. Propped right next to her was a long wrapped bundle, a personnel possession he assumed, that was far enough for comfort yet close enough to use. Sagara eyed it in suspicion before recalling her hobby on the file he read. She was capable of defending herself to a small degree, but only if she had a wooden sword in hand, he deduced. Nodding in acceptance, he began fanning his eyes once more for any possible threats as she dug into her meal.

After quietly consuming a chopstick of rice, Houki sighed, seemingly depressed about something. "I forgot the tomatoes again…"

She picked at her food for several long moments, partly lost in thought but mostly unable to choose what she wanted to eat next, when the arrival of some students made her pause. Sagara instantly zeroed in on the approaching group of girls. They were giggling about something that he couldn't quite pick up from his position. They didn't appear hostile in the least yet he kept a vigil eye out, his weapon ready to be drawn at a moment's notice. Houki appeared to do the same as her hand reflexively drew the bundled object close to her, clutching it in a way oddly reminiscent of those samurai shows that one of his seniors in the SRT liked to watch back in TDD.

"S-shinonono-sama…" One of the girls squeaked out; a rather short female with two long, teal-colored twin-tails that stopped just above the knees. She seemed to be the leader of the group as the others immediately hid behind her out of surprise. The way they shifted about uncomfortably and peeked over at the lone girl sitting on the bench made Sagara tilt his head curiously at they're odd behavior. Was there something he was missing here?

His charge made no move to react except to resume eating as if they weren't there, though she placed wrapped bokken much closer to her than before, something which he silently approved of. The girls apparently didn't get her unspoken wish to be left alone and instead tried once more.

"Shinonono-sama…?" The same girl voiced out.

When no reply came, one of her friends, a blonde one with a ponytail sticking out at the side of her head, spoke out instead; her voice laced with some scorn.

"Miku, let's leave her alone." She said, a small sneer already forming. "The _princess_ looks like she doesn't want any company. We should eat somewhere else, maybe at the East garden or the cafeteria with Rin and her friends. At least there we'll be able to enjoy ourselves…"

"But Neru…" The girl named Miku said. "Weathers like this are hard to come by these days with global warming and all. The other gardens are taken by those _other girls_ and I really don't want to eat anywhere too populated_._ I'm pretty sure if we go there we'll get into trouble."

"It's your fault for taking on that idol job." The blonde remarked irritably. "If you hadn't then you wouldn't be having problems from the fanboys. Do you know how hard it was to steer those disgusting nerds away from you? I had to practically beat them up them with some help from Teito and Ia over here," She motioned to the remaining girls in their group; a grey-haired girl with sapphire eyes and a redhead whose peculiar drill-like hairstyle prompted a mild interest in Sagara, "before they even got the message to leave you alone. Teito and I got out okay, but poor Ia-chan had to suffer a brief suspension because of that."

In response Miku turned a pretty pink of embarrassment as she fiddled with the hems of her skirt. She looked deeply troubled by the revelation, perhaps equally guilty. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for any of that to happen."

"It's alright." The grey-haired girl assured her with an understanding smile. "It wasn't so bad. A couple days of break from school helped me study for the exam that I took yesterday. I managed to Ace it so I say that it was rather a good thing I was suspended."

The girls quickly broke into a round of congratulations and questions about the exams, unmindful of Houki's mood. Sagara paid close attention to her behavior as she shakily scooped up a tasty looking shrimp from her bento, holding it in front of her lips and doing nothing else. That seemed to be the only thing she was aiming to eat as the other fruits, rice and side-dishes were left untouched.

"Um, girls…" The redheaded Teito finally spoke up and gestured silently to the black haired girl sitting away from them. "I think we should leave. She doesn't look too happy…"

They noted the dark aura enshrouding Houki's form and wisely retreated back a few steps.

"I say we vote." Neru announced resolutely. "Stay here and possibly incur the princess wrath, or head to Rin's stable and enjoy our lunch. Who's with me on the latter?"

"Aye!" Teito agreed instantly.

"Neru!" Miku cried out in disapproval, the tealette really looked dead set in claiming a spot in this garden. Sagara would have to agree. In a militaristic perspective this particular spot provided various advantages for any would-be spy… or undercover soldiers like him.

Unfortunately for them, their indecision landed them into some hot water in the form of a half dozen rowdy looking girls approaching from the direction of the school building. Sagara frowned when he instantly discerned several knives and a taser gun concealed within their person, easily detectable by his trained eyes. How such things managed to slip by the teachers of the campus undetected was a mystery to the young Mithril Operative. From what he gathered about the school, they were fairly strict about security, especially since the students were still so young, and even hired security guards to watch over the grounds day and night—although why he hadn't spotted one today during his infiltration, Sousuke couldn't tell either.

Nonetheless, an actual threat was present and he made ready to intervene should they act. Normally he'd do so now and take them out from a distance with his trusty rifle, non-lethal stun rounds included, but, once more, his captain's previous advice kept him from taking action immediately. Houki apparently recognize the threat well enough but didn't act on it. She chose to pull her weapon closer and kept a wary eye on the happenings, visibly content with just observing.

Meanwhile, Miku and her friends nearly yelped and reversed their direction; the tealette remaining at the front, acting much as a shield against the new group of girls chewing bubble gum and having a smoke, more than anything, while her friends unashamedly hid behind her.

"Get lost brats." One of the taller intimidating girls commanded. "This spot is officially Koga territory. If you plan on staying, cough up the dough."

The girl's entourage punk-style friends bared feral grins in agreement.

"W-we were just… just leaving." Teito squeaked out, hoping to avoid conflict. Unfortunately, the gang they were facing sought differently.

"Hah?" A pink-haired girl leaned forwards with a hand cradling one ear towards them. "What was that? You want to stay? Sure! That'll be 4000 yen plus 5000 tax."

"What the hell! That ain't right!" Neru shouted indignantly, her fear apparently forgotten at the outrages request. "You can't charge us for crap here—it's school property!"

Miku feebly tried to placate her friend. "Neru calm down, you'll aggravate them even more!"

"I actually don't want to get suspended again… it's bad for my record." Ia added quietly as she shifted on her feet, eyes darting at the villains present.

A few large veins developed on more than a few of the delinquent-type girls as one of them brought up a fist to one hand and squeezed it threateningly. "Oho~ we have a rebel in our hands, girls…"

"W-wait a minute." Miku cried out, waving her hands in front of her. "We don't want any trouble—really. W-we'll just take our leave."

"Not without paying!" One of the delinquents in the back of the group demanded.

Neru attempted to voice out another protest but Ia and Teito quickly suppressed her efforts, covering her mouth and restraining her movements with their arms, leaving her form entirely frozen even as she struggled.

"Hey… isn't this that Miku girl everyone's been talking about recently?" A short-haired tomboy in the side mused loudly, her eyes trailing over the tealette's figure. "Cream colored skin, long twin-tails colored teal… yea, I think this is her."

The mentioned girl paled as the looks of confusion from the intimidating group turned sadistic all of sudden. Sagara felt the bit of hostile aura emanating from them spike rather drastically to the point that his hands unconsciously found the grip of his pistol. Only with a controlled reasoning was able to keep it at just that.

Fortunately he didn't have to do anything as his charge took a rather… personal interest in this matter.

Right before the leader of the delinquent girls could threaten the tealette into giving her money, Houki, whose impatience had finally reached its limit, snapped into action. She was just minding her own business until her lunch was ruined by a single bubblegum carelessly thrown into her bento by one of the loathsome interlopers. Now the kendoist only wanted one thing, and one thing only.

Retribution!

The crowd of girls that now numbered close to dozen in total all jolted as a wooden Bokken suddenly buried itself between them. They all glanced at the owner whose mood had manifested into an unpleasant cloud of pure darkness that wrapped itself around her like a living cloak.

"W-who the hell…" The leader of the offending gang stuttered out, taking an involuntary step back. She never noticed her friends doing the same and slowly making more progress towards retreating altogether.

"I-it's the princess!" Whispered one of her underlings. "Shit, what's she doing here? I thought she hung around her Kendo club?!"

Meanwhile, as they coward, Miku's group were frozen in place. Neru, Teito and Ia clung to each other in hopes of gaining comfort from one another while their leader stood alone to the side as Houki stopped beside to her. Curiously, it didn't appear that her anger was directed at them but rather to the delinquents. That little knowledge set the tealette somewhat at ease.

"You girls ruined my lunch." The kendoist growled. "Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for such a day to enjoy it? Huh?"

When they didn't make a move to reply, Houki plucked her weapon from the ground and held it at them threateningly.

"Well?" She barked.

Her command shook them enough to fumble backwards, tripping over one another until they lay groaning on the ground in a mess of limbs. Sagara idly noted the various colored undergarments they were wearing, comparing it to those that his teammate/friend Mao would at times wear after a shower.

"Fuck! What the hell are we doing?" Cried out the leader of the gang. "We have the numbers! Let's jump her!"

Rallying themselves from their embarrassing fall, they quickly lunged at the lone Kendoist, hands clutching the knives that Sousuke had foreseen.

And just as fast as they attacked it was all over. In one elegantly swift stroke of her Bokken, Houki repelled their efforts and rendered them completely unconscious on the grass with only a small bump forming on their respective heads. Miku and her friends gaped in awe and so did the young Mithril Operative in hiding.

"Impressive." Sousuke murmured to himself as he withdrew his weapon. "Very impressive."

If Sagara hadn't seen that with his own eyes, he'd never believe a girl like her could've done it.

It was actually the blonde girl of Miku's group that spoke first, and she uttered the one word that pretty much summed up what they thought.

"Wow…"

Houki huffed and returned to her bento, hoping to see what she could salvage of her meal. Her movement broke the rest of Miku's group out of their stupor and Sagara quickly found himself debating whether or not to interfere in what he was seeing now.

The harmless girls he had labeled as 'innocent civies' had suddenly swamped his moody charge at her bench.

"Y-you were so awesome Shinonono-sama!" The red-headed girl asked, eyes sparkling with... were those stars?

"Not bad Houki-san." Neru added in a friendly manner.

Ia came next with a grateful bow. "Thank you very much for helping us out of that Bind."

"Yes, we really appreciate what you did for us." Miku agreed enthusiastically. "I-if it isn't too much trouble, would it be alright to have lunch with you?"

"…" Houki glanced down to her lunch in response. The large bubblegum was still stuck on her rice, but thankfully the rest of her dishes were left untouched.

The girls noted this and winced.

"You can have some of my Rice." Miku quickly said, raising her teal colored bentou in front of her. "I packed plenty today."

"Us too!"

Pretty soon the rest of the girls were offering to share their rice with her. They were eager to return the favor from moments ago.

Eventually Houki shook her head and sighed. "No thank you. I'm fine with this."

She dumped the tainted grains of rice into a nearby trash can before trudging back onto the bench. Sagara thought that she would leave right then and there, but instead she resumed eating with the four other girls taking a seat on either side of her. She didn't respond to any of their polite prompts, and there was obviously a lot of tension on her shoulders, yet she didn't ask them to leave.

Seeing the interactions between them going well, Sagara shifted about his perch and settled into his earlier vigil. The conflict has passed yet he had a feeling that he'll need to stick close to her from here on.

"While peaceful solutions are the best solutions," Sagara started softly to himself as he looked over the unconscious forms of the delinquents, "It may be insufficient…"

* * *

><p><strong>Tuesday, October 1, 2013<strong>

**4:50 p.m. (Local Time)  
><strong>**Fukushima, Japan  
><strong>**Shinonono Houki**

Today was certainly tiresome for Houki.

In less than a day she had garnered several changes to her presumably troublesome life…

The first is a group of friends who she unintentionally saved during lunch. It was a colorful collection of girls that were more than happy to decide between themselves to become her official friends—without even consulting her! Not only did they share their lunch with her, but they also got her to share her phone number and e-mail address. Then, if that wasn't enough, they all escorted her to class and continued to visit her during the short breaks. The attention gained from that was enough to give Houki a headache as Miku's fanboys joined her own unwanted security force in keeping them corralled from the rest of the students. Houki was thankful that they all had club today—her own club meeting being cancelled— or else they'll be looking to accompany her home.

The second change came in the form of the delinquent she had so lightly disciplined with her bokken. The group of girls who dubbed themselves as the Koga Girls had taken to stalk her every movement during the time she was with her new found friends. Two of the delinquents were classmates that tried drilling holes at the back of her heads during Math and History class, the rest made due with glaring her from down the hall during break. Their malice was so obvious that their attempt at revenge right after school didn't come as a surprise. She simply disciplined them once more, but then they brought their boyfriends with them two hours later.

And that's where the last change appeared in her life.

Now how to broach this predicament of hers…

"Um…" She began, drawing her eyes away from the girl she had knocked out and towards the boy screening her from the rest of her supposed enemies. "Who are you?"

The hat wearing boy with the dark shades batted away a knife thrust from his opponent and quickly tossed him towards the others before he replied.

"I'm ordinary civilian merely passing by." He answered stoically, his voice a pleasant baritone.

Houki blinked at him. "Right… am I supposed to believe that?"

"Yes."

Those were the only words they could exchange before their opponents cut in between them. Out of the dozen strong delinquents that had cornered Houki on her way home four remained; Three gruff looking boys no older than her and the orange haired leader of the Koga Girl gang holding onto a tazer gun from a far. She didn't look pleased with her situation.

Houki would've agreed if she wasn't feeling annoyed with her at the very moment. She was actually glad that this strange boy had stepped in randomly just minutes ago. He not only proved himself quite capable unarmed, but also very effective against the rest of the delinquents who were armed. With his help she felt very confident with the outcome.

"W-what are you two?" The Koga leader uttered fearfully as her last three companions fell to ground in dull thuds. Standing over them, the unknown boy shook his head and looked up at her.

"Now, I ask that you lower your weapon and surrender peacefully." The lone boy suggested calmly. "There's no need for further violence. We can talk about this in a civilized manner."

At the side, Houki lowered her bokken to speak non-threateningly. "He's right you know. You did this to yourself so the least you can do is surrender quietly and take responsibility."

"S-shut up!" The orangette cried out, taking a step back as the boy moved forward.

"I'll say it once more." He said as his hands rose in a placating manner. "Lower your weapon and surrender peacefully. If you don't then I'll be forced to take appropriate actions."

Rather than obey she raised her tazer gun and pressed the trigger. The crackling sound of electricity and its brief flashes of light briefly illuminated the dark alley. Houki watched with wide eyes as the boy withdrew a gun from his back and took aim, dodging the little pins of the tazer in the process.

"H-hold on a minute," She cried out, realizing just what he was going to do. "Don't shoot her!"

**Pop!**

There was a long pause before the body of the offender dropped to her knees and promptly joined her comrades on ground.

Houki had seen true violence before; getting kidnapped by terrorist groups and witnessing several shootouts in the process were a few such examples. She's been exposed enough to gain an immunity over the most common high school fights that periodically happened in the streets of Fukushima. And yet, despite this, she was still averse to over all violence and preferred to avoid them as much as she could.

So when the violence before her turned into a possible murder before her eyes, she reacted appropriately… by hitting her savior on the head.

**THWACK!**

"YOUKILLED HER!" She outright accused, brandishing her weapon for another strike.

She was surprised when he recovered from her attack and simply shook his head a few times to clear any pain or disorientation.

"Peaceful solutions are the best solutions." He stated clearly and held out his gun for her to see. "Non-lethal stun rounds are very effective in disabling civilians. She'll be fine, no need to worry."

**THWACK!**

The hat wearing teen once more found himself eating cold concrete.

"That still doesn't give you the right to shoot her like that! You could still kill her with that!" She exclaimed.

While she struggled to regain her composure, he slowly stood up using the wall as a support.

"We need to get them to the hospital…" She said after a thought.

"I've already notified the local authorities." The boy informed. "They'll be here soon. We should leave the premises in the mean time."

"Are you an idiot?" Houki asked incredulously. "We can't leave them here alone. What happens if someone else decides to take advantage of them before help can get here?"

"Not our problem." He answered bluntly, pulling off his shades with a frown. "This is very expensive equipment. Please refrain from damaging it."

Now that Houki took a good look at him, she couldn't help but admit that he was rather bishounen looking. He sported deep calculating brown eyes, sharp features for someone of his age, brown hair that peaked out from beneath his hat, and a healthy tan skin. The most noticeable feature about him was the 'x' shaped scar marring the side of his cheeks. It seemed to run deep, but at the same time helping to enhance his look with a rebellious quality.

Realizing she was staring so intently, she looked away and tried to busy herself with something. "S-so who are you really?"

The bishounen boy blinked at her. "Like I've stated before, I'm merely a stranger passing by."

"I meant you're name!" She snapped at him, annoyed at his excuses. "I want to know you're name so I can properly th-thank you."

"Ah." He paused then said. "Sagrara… Sousuke Sagara."

"An odd way to introduce yourself…" Smiling slightly at his compliance, Houki worked up some courage to face him and held out her hand. "Shinonono Houki. Thank you very much for your help."

"It's not a problem."

Off to the side one of the girls moaned and sat up. "Urgh… My head… What hit me?"

She never got a chance to look around before a red dart lodged itself at the side of her neck. The girl fell unconscious not a moment later, followed by Houki's jaw dropping in disbelief.

"Again, seriously? What did I just say earlier!?"

"It's alright; I purposefully missed the arteries so—"

**THWACK!**

And so that's how she met the last 'change' to her troublesome life; a strange boy named Sousuke Sagara.

* * *

><p><strong>1842 hours, October 1, 2013 (India Time Zone)<strong>

**Fukushima, Japan  
><strong>**Urushima Apartment Complex  
><strong>**Sgt. Sousuke "Kashim" Sagara**

As soon as Sagara arrived at his apartment, tired yet pleased with his accomplishments today, he was assaulted by the Landlady from earlier. She had struck without warning, blindsiding him with a kick to his back the moment he stepped through his door, and then quickly followed it with a straight-right that he was lucky enough to block in time with his left arm. He had been correct to assume she was a possible threat and now he was paying for his mistake of inaction. Thankfully she had shut the door behind her after he countered her next attack with a judo throw. Whether her actions were for convenience sake of denying assistance from any possible witnesses, or his neighbors for that matter, Sagara wasn't too sure as things quickly degraded into an all out brawl between him and his apparent assailant from there on.

The landlady grinned maliciously throughout their struggle, lashing out at every weak point or openings he made and reacting like a professionally trained killer, even going as far as taking a blow to the gut in order to latch onto his arm and disarm him of his concealed weapons. His hidden knife that he tried using had then been targeted right after his handgun and had been recklessly tossed aside when they're fighting led them to the corner of his kitchen. She had then drove him down to the ground with her superior size and proceeded to pummel him near relentlessly for several grueling moments, giving him barely enough time to shield his head the best he could with his arms. Thankfully he had managed to turn the situation to his favor by accurately hitting one of her pressure points on her arm, eliciting a surprise yelp of pain from her, and thus delaying her assault for several seconds. That left him the opening he needed to grab her other hand and twist it, forcing her to grunt in obvious pain and roll in the direction her arm had been forcefully turned to. After that Sagara jumped to his feet in preparation for her next move, his opponent doing the same as she rose and shook off the pain he inflicted.

Sagara was no idiot. Having been exposed to a few dangerous encounters with assassins earlier on in his career, he knew what to expect in cases like this, although this would be the first time he had to fight solo. The other times he had an ally or a fellow soldier nearby to watch his back. Here he was alone and quite at a disadvantage, even when he had the home field advantage where an abundant of varying weapons were scattered about. The 'landlady' had proven herself capable of rendering him unarmed, which left a question hanging over his mind for several minutes now.

Why wasn't he dead yet?

Something was wrong here. The landlady had not once moved to actually kill him despite the numerous times she could have done so. She was obviously far more experienced than him and probably could've snapped his neck with a well placed kick or grab. Instead she played around with him like he was some sort of toy.

"Who are you?" He demanded with a frown, half expectant of a response but more wary of another attack.

He finally forced her back far enough to allow some breathing room and a chance to recover himself. If he could just put her in a submission hold he'll be able to conserve some strength while at the same time extract information concerning her intentions and whomever she worked for.

"Why… I'm your friendly neighbor the landlady, of course!" She humored him with an unnerving grin. "Isn't it obvious? I wanted to know you better so why not do it up close and personal?"

She lunged at him once more, her long legs lashing out at him like a whip, intending to force him towards the wall behind him. It may have worked had Sagara not been anticipating it. Unfortunately for her, he did, and he used that chance to execute his hastily constructed plan.

_Gotcha!_

The next few moments blurred as several things happened in rapid succession. The young teen caught her kick and then avoided the following counter by twisting under her leg and forcing her to spin the same way, this time far harder. When they hit the floor together, Sagara wasted no time and placed her in a headlock with her feet uncomfortably trapped between his legs in a complex hold. It was a crude method that required a lot of leg muscles on his part, but it proved quite effective as his assailant tried to break free with much effort. By this point both were already breathing heavily as beads of perspiration rolled down their respective faces.

"Uncle!" She choked out after several moments.

Sagara responded by tightening his hold. "Who sent you? If you don't answer I'll snap your neck."

"I-idiot…Sousuke…!"

Her English was muffled, but that was enough to allow her a chance to regain her breath. He didn't dare drop his guard and so kept a firm grip around her neck just in case she acted out. Her struggling had all but vanished and she seemed genuinely submissive now.

"Who sent you?" He asked again.

"Give me a sec will ya?" She replied with a bit of a bite to her tone. "You nearly killed me with that grip of yours. Kurz wasn't joking about your strength; it's like a fucking snake's hold."

Recognizing the name and the voice that spoke it, he hesitantly identified her.

"Mao?" He whispered unsurely.

"Took you long enough." The supposed 'landlady' grunted and wiggled out of his grasp then shed her disguise eagerly. When she felt much more relieved she regarded Sagara with a small smirk, her violet eyes glinting with appraisal. "I gotta say, Sousuke, for a kid your age you're pretty good."

"…I had exceptional training." He stated modestly after clearing his head and shaking the aches coursing through his arms. Finding Mao as his attacker was surely a surprise, and he didn't quite understand her purpose when she assaulted him, preferring to wait for an explanation rather than ask right away. She probably did it for some sort of training exercise, though why now of all times is another question he'd probably have to ask.

The short-haired Chinese girl snorted. "Right, I forgot. The Russian's Spetsnatz taught you."

"Yes, there training program are very thorough." He informed. "I'm also proficient in a few forms of self defense such as the common Karate and judo." Truthfully, he had received far more training in unarmed combat than he had expected from Mithril. When his mentor, Kalanin, had noticed his proficiency and potential in that particular field, he called on a few favors to help cultivate his skill to a level of prodigy among his age group. Mao apparently didn't seem to believe him as she held out a hand.

"Okay hotshot, now you're just being arrogant."

The sergeant frowned as she helped him up. "It's not a lie. The lieutenant Commander trained me in those arts through the help of his connections."

"Yea, sure he did…" Mao drawled, casually dismissing his explanation in favor of rubbing her neck. He did apply a lot of force around that area.

The sergeant deepened his frown at her behavior before padding his clothes clean and taking stock of the damage done to his apartment. Their little scuffle had tipped several boxes down and spilled their dangerous contents on the floor, almost amassing a small hill of guns barring the hallway. His kitchen and living room didn't escape punishment either as numerous knives embedded themselves along his walls like a dart board; the many various canned goods littering the once clean floor; and the few glass cups he imported were broken over at the very far corner of the room. The living room carpet held drying stains of black paint meant for his walls and his laptop had been knocked from its perch on the fold-up table. Overall it looked like Kurtz threw one of his rowdy after parties in here and left him to do the cleaning.

Mao whistled a low tone at the scene with similar thoughts as she bent down to grab a canned corn that had rolled to her feet. She gave it a cursory glance before casually handing it to him.

"Sorry about the mess." She apologized, scratching the side of her cheeks sheepishly. "Didn't think it'll turn out like this, hehe."

"It's not a problem." He replied, unperturbed. "More importantly, why are you here? I thought this was my assignment? Did Madame Captain or Lieutenant Commander send you? Why didn't they contact me first? Was there a change in the mission? How come you attacked me?"

"Ease up there Sousuke." The Chinese woman waved her hand in mild irritation at his rapid-fire inquiries. "I came here on my own. And yes, I got permission for this, so don't fret. Kurtz and I were just a bit worried about you, you know?"

The sergeant stared blankly at her. He wondered what they were concerned about to warrant her presence.

"I've just started this mission…" He paused to check his watch. "5 hours, 20 minutes and 39 seconds ago. Apart from your unexpected visit—if you want to call it that,I've been doing quite fine so far."

"That's not what I heard from the other guys." Mao retorted, taking a seat on a metal fold-up chair and crossing her arms in a rather eager show of her assets. "But I'm not gonna bother asking about it since you probably have some crazy reasons if I did. Instead I want to know how that Houki girl you escorted was doing. She looked like a spunky little brat…"

"How did you know about that?" Sagara asked in surprise.

"Kurz trailed after you earlier and phoned me the details. Plus…" She jerked her thumb at the table where he dumbly left his mission papers exposed. "Anyone who breaks in a home and sniffs around for something good is bound to strike gold. You're usually well prepared and cautious about these sorts of things, Sousuke. What happened to the complex traps and security measurements you'd usually have up by now? Why weren't those files safely stored away? I'd say you're already losing your touch as a soldier." She shook her head in mock disappointment. "Still green."

"I technically still am." The brown haired youth honestly agreed. "Madame Captain gave me orders to scout out the city earlier and ensure my target's safety at her school. I would've finished installing some cameras and safety locks on the door and window before she called had it not been for HQ sending in more supplies..."

"Are you talking about those grey and blue boxes over there?" Mao smirked knowingly when he nodded in response. "Don't worry, those aren't for you. Our buddies from TF-141 are coming over here in a couple days and requested that some of their equipment and ammunition be sent ahead of them. Since they're such good friends of ours Mithril offered to help free of charge. You can expect them to swing on by sometime soon."

Sagara fell silent upon the unexpected news. He was usually well informed, but it seems today Mithril had forgotten to give him that little bit of information. Task Force 141 Operatives were coming over to Japan. That either meant they had a mission to fulfill here or they simply came to establish a safe house somewhere. The odds of the latter happening was very likely since the boxes he received did contain some of the more familiar armaments they'd commonly use during missions, and then some supplies meant to last long periods of time in secure storage.

Seeing as how he considered himself well acquainted with most of the TF-141 members, Sagara wondered who were coming to search for a safe house if his presumption was proven correct. A part of him hoped to see some of the people he's grown accustomed to while another wondered if this was an official assignment given by their higher-ups. Ghost, his usual partner during one of their co-op missions, had once mentioned that their Captain had a bit of habit in being well prepared for anything and would have several of the members carry it out during their vacations.

"If I were to guess, I'd say that what they're doing is completely unrelated to any mission given by their CO…" He mused softly to himself, turning to Mao as he did so. She had drifted towards the grocery bags he brought with him in hopes of finding something good to eat. "Is that all I need to know?"

"Apart from them coming here for some downtime and setting up a safe house, they mentioned something about a big mission coming up soon." She wrestled open a tightly packaged cookies as she spoke. "Word has it that they're after one of our prime targets in Russia; a very annoying guy we've dealt with before. Remember that bastard who instigated that revolt in Rwanda last year?—the one that got away from us?"

Sousuke frowned in thought. "If I recall correctly, I was assigned to take out several key targets in Kibuye in order to cripple the rebels' supply lines. We were placed in separate teams at that time and your unit was assigned to eliminate him: the leader of the Russian Ultranationalist Party (RUP), Vladimir Makarov… is that who they're after?"

"Apparently…" Mao said, finally enjoying a cookie. She walked back to her seat and faced him. "It's not yet confirmed by Intelligence since the TF-141's folks are a bit leery when it comes to information leaks, but I've heard they're calling it "Operation Kingfish." You can confirm it with one of your buddies when they get here if you want." She shrugged. "We're bound to get involved either way considering our history with them. I for one will gladly join they're hunt. That cocky ass bastard needs to pay for wrecking my favorite AS…"

He watched her savagely devour the cookie as his thoughts drifting into the past.

"He also sabotaged our exfil that time."He added after a long pause, his eyes glazing over in remembrance. "Our movements were predicted so easily during the final minutes of the operation. It was as if they anticipated our plan. Gunther and Alena hadn't made it pass the ambush … then those unregistered I-S that came to cover his escape…" As his recollection grew, Sagara's tone darkened until he was barely whispering. "Kate, Jackie, Baz, Allison, Boleslav... we suffered heavy casualties that day— and not just in the SRT but the PRT units as well…"

"Even more reason to join the operation." Mao said somberly, her cookie all but gone, leaving her to gaze absently at her hand. "If we had it hard while armed with the best tech and personnel that the world has to offer, then those guys will have it harder. They're going to need all the help they can get."

"A lot more…" Sagara agreed, already contemplating the probing questions he would ask them when they came. "I'll see if I can offer some assistance to them while they're here. I've been around Russia long enough to provide valuable insight on their military operations and possible enemy base locations."

Mao shook her head at his attempt to get involved. "The Lieutenant Commander will have that covered. If not, I'm pretty sure the Russian Loyalists still operating there will help." She told him, regaining some of her earlier spirit. "Besides, your assignment is here, and from what I've read its pretty high up there in Mithril's list of priorities. Focus on that for now."

"… Roger..." Sagara said before moving to recover the Laptop from the floor. He was well aware of how important his assignment is to Mithril, but that didn't mean he was satisfied with simple bodyguard work. In truth, he felt a bit left out from the action supposedly going to happen in the near future.

"You'll get your piece when the time comes, Sousuke," Mao assured him kindly, patting his head like an older sister would do to her brother. "With your skill in AS, I'm sure Mithril can pull you out from this assignment for a few missions with us and have someone from Intel to stand in for you. Tessa might put more effort in convincing them to do so if you ask her."

Sagara appreciated the thought, but shook his head. "Unnecessary. This mission was specifically given to me so I intend to see it through. I will answer to their call should they ever require my assistance though."

Mao laughed a good natured laugh as she shifted to pat his back roughly. "You're such a goody two shoes Sousuke, why can't Kurz be like you?"

"Ah, but meine schwester, that's what makes me who I am." A familiar voice commented.

Mao and Sousuke glanced towards the front door where a young blonde man stood leaning on the frame. He had a beer carton dangling in one hand as his other arm was raised in a casual two-fingered salute. "Guten Abend! Herr Kurz has arrived!"

"Tch, took his sweet ass time getting here." Mao grumbled before beckoning him in. "Hurry up with the beer! My throat is parched and all Sousuke has here are water bottles, yuck! Such bad taste."

"I'm still underage…" Sousuke reminded with a frown.

While Mao began to coerce the young teen into drinking with them, their earlier discussion put to rest, the blonde German took a look around the apartment with curious eyes and asked: "What the hell happened here?"

* * *

><p><strong>Wednesday, October 2, 2013<br>****8:30 a.m. (Local Time)  
><strong>**Fukushima, Japan  
><strong>**A certain Junior High school  
><strong>**Shinonono Houki**

"No way, no way, no way…" Houki whispered to herself in disbelief at what she was seeing. She admitted to waking up in the wrong side of the bed this morning, but she was certain that nothing else seemed out of place besides that, so why was this happening to her?

Standing at the front of the room, beside her rather enthusiastic teacher, with his hands held firmly behind his back and a posture screaming of discipline and no nonsense attitude, was the boy she met just yesterday, and then this morning discovered him as her neighbor. The very same one who demolished—no _annihilated _the goons who threatened to do her harm yesterday, all under the excuse of "I'm ordinary civilian merely passing by."

Don't even get her started on his odd behaviors afterwards. That couple of hours shopping at the local food market felt like that kidnapping incident to her!

Stepping forward, Sousuke straightened and introduced himself in a crisp and commanding voice, startling more than a few of her drowsy classmates, and garnering several interested looks from the rest of the females. She admitted to being one of them since he was rather easy on the eyes now that his entire face was visible…

"My name is Sergeant. Sousuke Sagara." He proclaimed loudly as he took a moment to look around the room before adding: "…That is all."

The reaction varied, but for the sake of simplicity, Houki slapped her forehead and shook her head rather than join everyone else who face-faulted onto the floor at his short introduction.

"Forget school, I really should've taken a vacation to Fuyuki..."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** First off, I hope you readers enjoyed this chapter and will consider viewing the next installment when it comes out. While I feel dissatisfied with this chapter I hope to make up for it in the next installment. I do plan to keep this project open since I have a great love for the Full Metal Panic series and admittedly have been a big fan way before Naruto or the other mainstream anime got my attention. You can say that my friend got me into manga/anime with this series, FMP, and in turn got me going in fanfiction a few years later.

And to be honest this was my very first manga lol. Plus, I've been meaning to try this out ever since I-S came out.

Do note that I intend to blend the minor crossovers I've included (and some in the future) to the story as best I can. The absolute main focus will still be Full Metal Panic (yay!), Infinite Stratos (Of course) and the Modern Warfare universe (to some extent). It'll be a challenge, but I think it's worth the effort and fun. I'll also cover more information on them as the story progresses. Although there are bound to be modifications later on when I've acquired further knowledge on these particular subjects.

Hmm… Probably one more chapter before I hop onto the actual I-S plot and get this story going.

Leave a review and I'll see you guys later.


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